Some Yemeni proverbs Compiled by NAJLA ABU-TALEB Sana’a is a ‘must’, however long the journey takes La budd min Sana’a wa lau taal al-safr From a pound of talk, an ounce of understanding Min ratl hakya tafham wiqya A foreigner should be well-behaved Ya gharib kun adib Look to your near neighbour rather than to your distant brother Jaarak al-qarib wa la akhuk al-ba‘id Work like an ant and you’ll eat sugar Kun namla wa takul sukr Who dies today is safe from tomorrow's sin Man maat al-yaum salim min dhanb bukra My fist is in his mouth, his fist is in my eye (i.e. ‘six of one, half a dozen of the other’) Yaddi fi fumuh wa yadduh fi ‘aini A friend in time of need is a friend indeed La sadiq illa fi waqt al-dhiq A monkey in its mother’s eye is like a gazelle (i.e. love is blind) Qird fi ‘ain ummuh ghazaal If speech is of silver, silence is golden Lau kan al-kalaam min fidha fa al-samt min dhahab A bird in hand is worth ten in a tree 'Asfoor fil yadd wa la ‘ashra fi al-shajarah Out of sight, out of mind Ma ghaab ‘an al-nadhr ghaab ‘an al-khaatir If you have honey, don’t lick the pot clean Idha sahibak ‘asl la talhusuh kulluh A white piastre for a black day Al-qirsh al-abyad li al-yaum al-aswad You play with a snake and call it a worm Tal’ab bi hanash wa taquluh dudah

Read this Poem! IF THE PROPHET MOHAMMAD(SAW)* VISITED YOU, JUST FOR A DAY OR TWO, IF HE CAME UNEXPECTDLY, I WONDER WHAT YOU WOULD DO. OH, I KNOW, YOU'D GIVE HIM YOUR NICEST ROOM, TO SUCH AN HONORED GUEST; AND ALL THE FOOD YOU'D SERVE HIM, WOULD BE THE VERY BEST. AND, YOU WOULD KEEP ASSURING HIM, YOU ARE GLAD TO HAVE HIM THERE, THAT SERVING HIM IN YOUR HOME, IS JOY BEYOND COMPARE. BUT... WHEN YOU SAW HIM COMING, WOULD YOU MEET HIM AT THE DOOR. WITH ARMS OUTSTRETCHED IN WELCOME, TO YOUR VISITOR? OR...WOULD YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES, BEFORE YOU LET HIM IN? OR HIDE SOME MAGAZINES AND PUT, THE QURAN WHERE THEY HAD BEEN? WOULD YOU STILL WATCH FORBIDDEN MOVIES, ON YOUR TV SET? OR WOULD YOU RUSH TO SWITCH IT OFF, BEFORE HE GETS UPSET? WOULD YOU TURN OFF THE RADIO, AND HOPE HE HADN'T HEARD? AND HOPE HE HADN'T UTTERED, THE LAST LOUD, HASTY WORD? WOULD YOU HIDE YOUR WORDLY MUSIC, AND INSTEAD TAKE HADITH BOOKS OUT? COULD YOU LET HIM WALK RIGHT IN, OR WOULD YOU RUSH ABOUT? AND, I WONDOR... IF THE PROPHET (SAW)* SPENT, A DAY OR TWO WITH YOU, WOULD YOU GO RIGHT ON DOING THE THINGS, YOU ALWAYS DO? WOULD YOU GO RIGHT ON SAYING THE THINGS, YOU ALWAYS SAY? WOULD LIFE FOR YOU CONTINUE, AS IT DOES FROM DAY TO DAY? WOULD YOU KEEP UP EACH AND EVERY PRAYER, WITHOUT PUTTING ON A FROWN? AND WOULD YOU ALWAYS JUMP UP EARLY, FOR PRAYERS AT DOWN? WOULD YOU SING THE SONGS YOU ALWAYS SING, AND READ THE BOOKS YOU READ? AND LET HIM KNOW THE THINGS ON WHICH, YOUR MIND AND SPIRIT FEED? WOULD YOU TAKE THE PROPHET WITH YOU, EVERYWHERE YOU PLAN TO GO? OR WOULD YOU, MAYBE, CHANGE YOUR PLANS, JUST FOR A DAY OR SO? WOULD YOU BE GLAD TO HAVE HIM MEET, YOUR VERY CLOSEST FRIENDS? OR WOULD YOU HOPE THEY'D STAY AWAY, UNTIL HIS VISIT ENDS? WOULD YOU BE GLAD TO HAVE HIM STAY, FOREVER ON AND ON? OR WOULD SIGH WITH GREAT RELIEF, WHEN HE AT LEAST WAS GONE? IT MIGHT BE INTRESTING TO KNOW, THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD DO, IF THE PROPHET MOHAMMAD*, IN PERSON CAME, TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH YOU. * Sallallah Alaihi wa Salam think about this poem and act quickly.......